1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of separable electrical connectors. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of separable electrical connectors utilized in space technology applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The following nine (9) prior art patents are believed to be pertinent to the field of the present invention:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,871,457 issued to Jencks et al. on Jan. 27, 1959 for "Mounting For Electronic Components" (hereafter "the Jencks Patent").
2. U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,089 issued to Gregoire on Apr. 30, 1963 for "Electrical Connector" (hereafter "the Gregoire Patent").
3. U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,364 issued to Lingg on Jun. 18, 1963 for "Connector Mounting" (hereafter "the Lingg Patent").
4. U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,500 issued to Anderson on Apr. 20, 1976 for "Circular Rack And Paner" (hereafter "the Anderson Patent").
5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,862 issued to Johnson on Apr. 8, 1986 for "Floating Coaxial Connector" (hereafter "the Johnson Patent").
6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,859 issued to Fisher, Jr. on Oct. 6, 1987 for "Floating Coaxial Connector" (hereafter "the '859 Fisher Patent").
7. U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,351 issued to Fisher, Jr. el al. on Dec. 6, 1988 for "Blind Mating Connector With Snap Ring Insertion" (hereafter "the '351 Fisher Patent").
8. U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,986 issued to Dholoo on Mar. 28, 1989 for "Self-Aligning Blind Mate Connector" (hereafter "the Dholoo Patent").
9. U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,748 issued to Kozono et al. on Mar. 20, 1990 for "Movable Connector" (hereafter "the Kozono Patent").
The Jencks Patent discloses a mounting for electronic equipment. The Jencks Patent mounting apparatus is a self ejecting electrical equipment rack assembly. It includes a housing which is adapted to contain and releasably support therein a plurality Of electrical units. It has a floating arrangement which is accomplished by compression springs between the plates and the compression springs encircling the shanks of pins. The motion of the plate is limited by spring rings seated within a groove in the pins which abut the lower surface of the plate. The motion of the unit into the housing effects the coupling of the plugs and receptacles and a simultaneous slight amount of compression in the springs. At the point of full compression, the face plate abuts upper angle members, and at which time slotted fasteners may be turned to lock the unit in an assembled position. Upon release of the fasteners, the expansion of the springs serves to eject the electrical unit a slight distance out of the housing and allows an operator to grasp the unit. However, the compression springs cannot be adjusted for separation spring force and are mounted between the plates.
The Gregoire Patent discloses an electrical connector. The Gregoire Patent electrical connector includes a first connector part rigidly mounted on a first panel, and a second connector part retractably mounted on a second panel. The second connector part is constantly urged by a resilient member.
The Lingg Patent discloses a connector mounting. The connector mounting has a cylindrical guide member for facilitating the coupling of the connector members. The cylindrical guide member is bound by a large coil spring which is in turn disposed within a cylindrical housing.
The Anderson Patent discloses a circular rack and panel connector. It includes a connector receptacle and a connector plug with one connector mounted on a unit of electrical equipment and the other connector mounted on a panel. In order to facilitate the connection of the plug and receptacle connectors and to prevent damage to them, a pair of guide pins are disposed in a horizontal plane on radially opposite outer sides of the connector shell of the rack mounted connector with the guide pins extending beyond the mating ends of the connector shell. The guide pins are mounted on a flange which is attached to the connector shell. The guide pins engage guide openings in a mounting flange on the other connector. The guide pins and guide openings are tapered at their forward ends to accommodate a small amount of angular misalignment of the guide pins during insertion into the guide openings. There is also a coil spring which aligns with the threaded openings, placing the spring directly behind and radially coincident with each of the guide pins so that forces applied to the guide pins upon connection of the members will be transmitted directly to the spring thereby minimizing tilting of the flange if the forces applied to the opposite guide pins are equal.
The Johnson Patent discloses a floating coaxial connector. The coaxial connector includes a plug member and a receptacle member. The plug member is mounted to a fixed panel, and the receptacle member is mounted to a moveable panel. A coil spring is utilized in the receptacle member so that the body of the receptacle member can move coaxially.
The '859 Fisher Patent also discloses a floating coaxial connector which utilizes a coil spring to support the receptacle member.
The '351 Fisher Patent discloses a blind mating connector with a snap ring insertion. The '351 Fisher Patent provides a connector comprising plug and jack halves which are intermated to join a transmission cable. Each of the halves includes a snap ring assembly and mechanism which allows each of the halves to be mounted into a housing or panel.
The Dholoo Patent discloses a self-aligning blind mate connector. The Dholoo Patent provides a co-axial connector comprising two independently-floating halves. As connector members are moved laterally into engagement, the alignment insert end of the body member will be guided by a tapered guide hole in the end of the body member to properly orient the plug member and socket member. Body members of connector halves will be radially deflected to allow for proper engagement of the plug within the socket. Metal bellows members allow for axial and radial deflection while maintaining electrical continuity.
The Kozono Patent discloses a movable connector. It includes four annular spring members integrally formed around the male housing at a rear portion.
In space technology applications, there are certain special requirements imposed on the electrical connectors. For example, in satellite applications, one of the plug or receptacle members of a connector is often mounted to the panel of a satellite, and the other one of the plug or receptacle members of the connector is often mounted to the panel of a launch station. When the satellite is engaged to the launch station, the plug and the receptacle members of the connector are often shifted linearly and/or angularly relative to each other, and the mounting of the connector must be able to perform self-alignment to ensure proper engagement of the plug and receptacle members of the connector. When satellites are launched, the separation of the plug and receptacle members of the connector must produce no excessive forces, because any interference from the disengagement of the plug and receptacle members will affect the launch angle of the satellite, which will in turn prevent proper orbiting of the satellite.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a new connector assembly specially designed and constructed to ensure proper self-alignment during coupling and minimum impulse during separation.